


Distraction

by cinnamontanks



Category: RWBY
Genre: Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of alcohol, Supportive Clover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22238842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnamontanks/pseuds/cinnamontanks
Summary: Qrow needed a distraction. He was feeling stressed and over-worked from recent events. It was a good thing he had someone as supportive as Clover around to help.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 195





	Distraction

Qrow needed a distraction. 

The kingdom of Atlas had made him feel like a caged bird for as long as he could remember. The rules, the regulations, Ironwood and his goons breathing down his neck… it all left him feeling as if he had no room to be himself. 

Qrow wasn’t the type to comply with orders and he had always had problems with authority, but his loyalty to his niece and her plan to lie low and stake out Ironwood’s intentions left him unable to speak out. He tried. He would make half-hearted comments in closed-door meetings whenever he felt as if the General was being especially unreasonable, but it never amounted to much. 

Aside from his issues with Ironwood and his stubborn ways, Qrow felt bombarded with stress as of late. Perhaps it was a result of the recent abandonment of his old drinking habits, but waking up at the crack of dawn to get debriefed and dispatched to fight Grimm, protect supply deliveries, and run errands was really affecting him. He wasn’t used to this much social and physical activity, especially not this packed together and especially not without the buzz of alcohol running through his veins. There was definitely still a buzz, but it was not the comforting one he had come to know and later despise. It was foreign, and it was driving him up a wall. 

He needed a distraction, or he might do something he would end up regretting later. 

It was for that reason that Qrow found himself wandering the halls of Atlas academy, pacing about aimlessly as his hands itched for something to do. It had been a long time since he’d been in this academy last, and he had never really had the luxury of exploring it before now. Despite this, his mind was too scattered to fully grasp the environment around him. He was just pacing to pace. It didn’t matter where he was going or where he had been because this was just to keep himself from turning to older habits. 

As he walked, Qrow slowly started to recognize the part of the academy he had found himself in. There were panels on the wall beside a few rows of large doors, almost all lit up with a green light. He approached one of the panels and inspected it. Skimming over the details present on the screen, he focused in on the large green box that read “vacant.” It seemed this was one of the training rooms that his nieces and their friends had been using to brush up on combat outside of mission work. 

He blinked slowly and turned his attention back to the smaller writing on the panel. It was all very boring and tedious information on rules to be followed inside the room and how to operate the equipment within. Qrow huffed out a breath, not at all surprised that even a room for combat training was treated like a well-oiled military machine in this kingdom. His gaze lingered on the panel momentarily before he shifted to look at the door. He could almost see the odd cubed structures inside, and he wondered how it would feel to have a go with Harbinger this late at night without anyone else around to bother him. 

Without really thinking about it too much, he took out his scroll and signed himself to use one of the rooms. The panel before him changed to a different screen, and after some fidgeting, the green “vacant” changed to a red-orange “occupied.” The door beside him slid open. 

Qrow turned and looked around, wondering if he was even really allowed to be doing this by himself without some sort of military supervision. He could feel the weight of his weapon against his back, and his hands were still shaking slightly. He needed this. If there were rules against this for some reason, he would deal with the ramifications later. 

He stepped into the room and watched as it sprung to life, blue lights turning on and terrain shifting to accommodate his needs. He reached behind him to grasp at Harbinger’s handle and pulled it out from under his cape as he leaped into action. 

~~ 

After what felt like hours, but surely wasn’t nearly as long, Qrow stood panting in the center of the training room, surveying his surroundings. There was plenty of damage done, and all of the targets he’d been supplied with were destroyed. Several odd cube structures laid on the ground, toppled over and dented from Qrow’s attacks. The lights on the cubes around him were flickering as they tried to stay powered on. There was a buzzing sound from somewhere above that let him know the session was over. 

Qrow could feel his chest heaving and his muscles burning. He adjusted his hold on Harbinger, trying to bring himself out of the battle mindset. It had been a long time since he had truly let himself go like that. He usually had to worry about the safety of those around him and hold himself back for their sakes. He was alone tonight, and he had taken advantage of that. 

Or so he had thought. 

He heard the sound of footsteps from somewhere behind him, and in his adrenaline-fueled haze, he turned and swung his weapon above his head. He brought the heavy blade down on his adversary, only for red eyes to meet teal. In a split second, he twisted his grip and the blade missed the man by an inch at best, lodging itself in the floor beside him. 

Qrow heaved out a sigh of relief and turned to look at the new arrival. “Clover. What the hell are you doing in here? I almost killed you,” he huffed, each word punctuated with a heavy exhale. He still needed to catch his breath. 

Clover stood where he was, looking first at Harbinger and then at Qrow. There was a twinkle in his eye. “I guess I’m lucky you didn’t then, huh?” 

Qrow sighed in response, tugging at his weapon and dislodging it from the ground. With a simple movement of Qrow’s wrist, it retracted back into itself for easy carrying, no longer needed for combat. He lifted his gaze to the other man, a mild wave of annoyance going through him.“How long have you been here? Why are you here?” 

Clover watched Qrow put his weapon into its usual compact travel mode with a slight raise of his eyebrows before looking back up at him. He smiled softly. “My scroll pinged me when you signed up for the room and I wanted to check in on you, especially since it’s so late at night. I haven’t been here for too long. Only enough to get a taste of how amazingly you handle a unique weapon like Harbinger.” 

Qrow shuffled his feet uncomfortably. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. 

“You know, your niece told me she based her weapon off of yours. She also told me you were one of her biggest inspirations growing up,” Clover continued, his smile widening ever so slightly. 

A rapid succession of deflections and off-handed comments fired through Qrow’s brain, but he couldn’t bring himself to say any of the words that came to mind. He instead settled for clearing his throat before he spoke. 

“Uh… yeah. I guess I was. I tried to be there for her when I could. ‘Taught her how to use a scythe myself, actually, though she didn’t need my help for very long… She was a natural with it.” He felt himself wince at the awkward response. He was working on accepting compliments as Clover had once requested of him, but it was still a struggle to respond positively. 

Clover nodded his head in response and looked downwards. If Qrow had to guess, he had most likely turned his attention to Harbinger again. “I’m kind of curious if you don’t mind me asking,” Clover pauses, glancing up at Qrow for a sign to continue. The man gave him a slight nod, and he went on. “What inspired you when you built your weapon? What was the idea that lead you to it?” 

Running his hand over the handle of the blade in question, Qrow exhaled softly. “I based on one of my biggest inspirations. ‘Guess you could’ve called her my childhood hero of sorts… The Grimm Reaper,” he explained. 

Clover’s eyes widened in recognition. “She’s a legend. I can understand why you would look up to her.” 

Qrow gave a wry chuckle as a slideshow of his interactions with the woman in question played in his mind. She had certainly helped him through a lot, but she had also thrown a few blows at his self-esteem. He recalled the time they’d talked together on the back of that old wagon and she had implied to him that he was well on his way to being just like her: “nothing but a disappointment.” He appreciated Maria, truly, but those words still lingered in the back of his thoughts on darker days. He could feel his expression shifting into a grimace and chased that train of thought away before it could develop into something worse. 

Qrow cleared his throat, looking elsewhere as he struggled to think of a response that wouldn’t lead into another Clover Ebi Pep Talk. He wasn’t quite in the mood for that. 

Clover seemed to pick up on his shift in mood, however, and gently changed the topic. Qrow felt a surge of relief and appreciation at that. “How does it work, if you don’t mind me asking?” he questioned, his gaze sweeping back down to the weapon at Qrow’s side. 

The blade-wielder looked down at Harbinger as well, his lips turning upwards into a small, affectionate smile. “What… this old thing? It might be a bit too rough and tumble for your high-class Atlesian tastes, what with you being at the top rung of the military and all.” 

“Actually, I much prefer weapons from other kingdoms. I don’t get to see them very often, but they’re always unique and creative when I compare them to Atlesian-grade weaponry,” Clover mused, leaning his weight to one side and crossing his arms as he looked Qrow dead in the eye. His smile never faltered. “Your weapon, Harbinger, has especially piqued my interest.” 

Qrow scoffed. “What’s so interesting about it?” he retorted, mirroring the pose of the Ace Operative before him. He loved Harbinger with his entire being, as they had been through a lot together, but he couldn’t see why someone like Clover would be interested in it for any real reason. 

“It’s a part of you, and that makes it fascinating,” Clover answered, his tone resolute yet warm. 

Qrow was thrown off guard by that. His cheeks fell a bit flushed and he nearly lost his balance from the sheer forwardness of the statement. The man fumbled for words, and he found himself trapped in Clover’s teal gaze. He didn’t know what to do, what to say, how to respond… he just kept staring, mouth agape as he searched the other man’s eyes for some sign he was joking. He was joking, right? 

The man in question flashed him a wide grin, beaming with warmth, and he laughed quietly. “You’re awfully cute when you’re flustered, Mr. Branwen.” 

“Shut up.” 

Clover nodded apologetically and turned his attention away once again. Qrow was grateful that he could no longer see the pink of his cheeks, and he crossed his arms, indignant. Damned flirt. 

After a beat of silence, Clover spoke once again, looking sheepish. “So… do you mind?” 

Qrow blinked, and it took him a moment to remember Clover’s earlier request. “No, no… It’s fine, really. Harbinger may not look like much but I put a lot of attention into the details,” he began. Clover listened intently for the entire time. His fellow huntsman explained the ins and outs of his weapon in great detail, noting even tiny aspects of the design. He spoke with a passion that Clover had only ever heard from him when he spoke of his nieces, and it was stunning to hear. His red eyes lit up with excitement as he demonstrated the way he transformed the blade to each of its four forms. He ran his fingers along the design etched into the metal, and began to explain the personal significance of it. Here and there his long speech would tease at stories he had yet to tell Clover, and each time left him curious and wishing for more. He looked so happy as he rambled on and on about Harbinger and how special it was, how proud he was of its design. Clover found himself smiling fondly as he absorbed each and every word. Qrow was beautiful like this, and Clover couldn’t help but stare, a warm glow in his chest at the sight. 

Qrow seemed to sense he was being watched intensely, as he trailed off in the middle of something he was saying to peek at Clover. His cheeks turned rosy, and he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away with that,” he mumbled. 

Clover shook his head insistently, stepping forward a bit to lay his hand on Qrow’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Qrow jumped from the contact but ruefully found himself leaning gently into it. “Don’t apologize.” 

“But I just kept going on and on and I’m sure that was annoy-” 

“It wasn’t,” Clover interjected, squeezing his grip on Qrow’s shoulder as he gave him a reassuring look. “I wanted you to tell me about Harbinger, and you did. I wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest. I promise. In fact, I thought it was pretty amazing listening to you talk about something you're so passionate about.” 

Qrow’s cheeks felt even hotter, the warmth traveling down his neck and up to his ears. He offered a shaky grin in response, and Clover smiled even brighter as he did. Gods. This man was so supportive that it confused him at times. He couldn’t help the feeling in his chest as he stared back at him. What was it? He could place it if he tried. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Warm, comforting, cozy... Like home. Being around Clover like this, with that look of pure and unadulterated affection on his face, felt like coming home for the first time in years. He wasn’t sure if he was scared or exhilarated by the emotions running through him, but he knew it certainly felt good to be appreciated like this. It was a luxury he hadn’t allowed himself since the days of team STRQ… 

He looked down at his weapon, still in his hands, before glancing back up at Clover. “Thank you,” he said quietly. 

The other man just nodded and dropped his hand from Qrow’s shoulder. His fingers trailed down his arm, causing Qrow to tremble. He felt a hand atop his, closed around the handle of his blade. His heart fluttered in his chest. 

“Of course… maybe one of these days I can tell you about Kingfisher if you’d like?” 

A thumb ran over his knuckles and he sighed at the feeling. 

“Yeah… yeah, I think I’d like that a lot, lucky charm.”

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my darnedest to write something okay for these two. I love them so much, and so here we are... Hope you enjoyed! Also! A big thank you to those on the fair game server that helped motivate me to continue this and reassured me that I was doing a good job with it. I really appreciated it a lot. <3


End file.
